Game 2: Atlanta Hawks AT Chicago Bulls
May 4, 2011 at 8 PM EST
Opening Line: CHI -9
Current Line: CHI -9
Opening Total: 180
Current Total: 179.5
Opening Moneyline: CHI -520, ATL +420
Current Moneyline: CHI -495, ATL +400
Much to everyone’s surprise, the Hawks found a way to win game 1. Holding Boozer to only 14 points and allowing Derrick Rose to put up 27 shots and miss 16 of them, kept Atlanta in the game. It was Atlanta’s back court duo that did the damage once again, as Crawford and Joe Johnson combined for 56 points on a combined 20 of 36 from the floor. Joe Johnson hit all five threes he attempted and also played solid defense, coming up with three key steals.
Deng got the better of what I perceived to be a close and good matchup at small forward. Deng put up 21 points on 8 of 12 from the field, and coralled 6 rebounds for good measure, while Josh Smith went 3 of 11 from the floor and only scored 8 points. He did block 4 shots, though. The Hawks will need Josh Smith to consistently challenge Rose’s drives to the hoop. Horford can also come over and help and he picked up 2 blocks in the last game as well.
With the Bulls lacking the firepower that the Magic had at center, Collins and Pachulia only combined for 15 minutes of play in game one, as Horford started at center and the Hawks went with their “smaller” starting lineup, which includes Marvin Williams at small forward. Williams has continued to disappoint and only provided 5 points in game one, looking mostly uninvolved offensively. Williams has actually regressed from where he was 4 seasons ago when he averaged 14.8 points per game and 5.7 boards. This season was the first in which he had averaged less than 30 minutes a game since his rookie season.
The Bulls received a scare in game 1 as Rose turned his ankle in the closing seconds of the game. Rose insisted it would not be a problem. “It’s fine, it’s fine,” Rose told reporters from his home. “Actually, the medicine that they gave me was great. I woke up this morning feeling great, went to practice, worked out after afterward.” Rose recently collected the league’s MVP award, gathering over twice as many votes as the second place Dwight Howard. The Bulls won more games than were expected and Derrick Rose’s play was the reason why, so he’s the MVP – fair enough. But it’s hard to say that if LeBron James had gone to Chicago that they might not be considered perennial contenders.
Jeff Teague provided a decent game for the Hawks in place of the injured Kirk Hinrich. Losing Hinrich’s size and defense will hurt the Hawks, but Teague did a good job of iniating offensive sets and finished with 5 assists while turning the ball over only once. He’s nowhere near the player Hinrich is, but should be able to fill in adequately, especially in light of the fact that Crawford will be running the point much of the time. The Bulls have to find an answer for Joe Johnson. As I remarked in the onset of this series in the series preview, the Bulls are fortunate to have two defenders at the shooting guard position who are both above average on defense. The problem is that in game one, they weren’t above average and didn’t get a hand up on many of Johnson’s jumpers.
Some betting trends:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 6 games and the Hawks are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games. The total has gone UNDER in 13 of the Hawks’ last 19 road games while the Hawks are 2-6 SU in their last 8 on the road. The total has gone OVER IN 9 of the Hawks’ last 12 matchups against the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta is 9-3 SU in their last 12 games at the United Center in Chicago. The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 6 road games against the Bulls and the Hawks are 4-9 SU in their last 13 road games against the Bulls. Atlanta is 4-2 SU in their last 6 road games against the Bulls.
Chicago is 13-2 SU in their last 15 games and the Bulls are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games. The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chicago’s last 12 games and the Bulls are 21-2 SU in their last 23 games at home. The Bulls are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games at home and the Bulls are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 against the Atlanta Hawks. The total has gone OVER In 9 of their last 12 games against Atlanta and Chicago is 3-9 SU in their last 12 against the Hawks. The Bulls are 9-4 SU in their last 13 at home against the Hawks. The Bulls are 2-4 ATs in their last 6 at home against the Hawks. The total has gone OVER in 5 of the Bulls’ last 6 games at home against the Atlanta Hawks and the Bulls are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games at home against Atlanta.
It should be interesting to see if Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau finds a way to counter act Joe Johnson’s offensive explosion. Thibodeau is a good defensive coach and has had the Bulls playing solid defense all year, so for Crawford and Johnson to have big games it is going to be more difficult than in game 1. The Bulls have to find a way to get Boozer more than 11 field goal attempts and Deng has to continue to outplay Josh Smith at small forward. If both of those things occur, in addition to Bogans and Brewer playing decent defense in the back court, then the Bulls will win as they are favored to, and possibly cover the spread.
